API Study Abroad: University of Limerick, Ireland

I studied at the University of Limerick for the spring 2018 semester and could not have asked for a better experience. The country, the little city, the friendly people, and everything in between made for a great 4 months away from home.
API did a great job to prepare me for the educational and the cultural side of my semester in Ireland. Myself and my other API friends were wayyyy more prepared than many of the other international students at the university in the sense of knowing what classes we could take and how their whole education system works. We also had Maria and Ger as our on site directors who were so so great about helping us with anything and everything we needed. They also took us on our API excursions and basically became our little temporary Irish family.
As far as the nightlife scene, Ireland has plenty of it, just not the most easily accessible. We had the bar on campus that was so much fun on certain nights of the week, and the clubs in town (40 min by bus, 20 by cab).
The University of Limerick was a really beautiful campus and in good weather just simply walking around is just truly amazing.
The thing about studying abroad in Ireland is that it is very different than studying in Barcelona or Prague. My friends and I noticed when we travelled and met people who did study in more popular study abroad spots that the people didn't get the same experience of their country as we feel we had. In Limerick we spent the first 2 months traveling all around Ireland on the weekends and it seriously felt like home so quickly. UL and API made that super easy and inexpensive to do which was great. Then we got to planning our own trips and still ended up getting to visit 8 different countries. Trip planning from Limerick was are difficult than it would have been from mainland Europe because we had to take a 2 hr, 30 euro, bus ride from campus to Dublin airport to catch cheap flights (Shannon airport is not the most useful). Still very doable and made us expert travelers.

The smartest thing I ever did was decide to study abroad in Ireland with API. API helped me to experience every wonderful thing Ireland has to offer. The rooming situations were different than at home, but the Irish people were so welcoming that I never felt out of place. The API staff, Maria in particular, were absolutely wonderful and felt like a second family. If I could go back, I would in a heartbeat.

Nothing can properly describe my time studying abroad at the University of Limerick, Ireland. Mariah was an absolute joy to work with. The program provider helped me immensely with all of the documentation beforehand. I decided last minute to join (about two months before my departure) and they helped me every step of the way. I still, over a year later, think about Ireland often, and I am still in contact with my Irish roommates and fellow Americans. I even have visited two other API alumni since my return. I am figuring out how I will make my way back to Ireland again soon. I highly recommend anyone even considering going to Ireland to look into this program and have the best semester of their life!

When I first decided to study abroad it was set that I was going to Ireland. What was not decided was how I was going to get there. I went to my university's international office and they gave me some brochures to look at. API was on of said booklets. The API booklet was also the first I looked at and the last. The program outlined by API was so much what I was looking for with the fantastic accommodation -- a single room and private bath with a common area that was also only a 5 min walk to campus-- and great over all program. Even if my university had trips to Ireland, I am so grateful I went through API.
The trips, were a great part of the program, we went on a day trip around western Ireland, one to Dublin, small excursions around Limerick, and two over night stays in Paris and the Aran Islands. These were great, and I know many of the girls in my program also went on trips on their own.
We were given freedom, but also had the support of the program when we needed it. Maria Cooney was the best part of API Limerick. She was utterly fantastic and helped us with class scheduling, getting us settled in our new homes, and even when we were sick she was there to help us in anyway. She also helped us if we needed it when we were planning our own adventures to other countries around Europe. I wholeheartedly believe that the API program is superior because they have a resident director there to aid students.
I studied in Ireland in Spring of 2012, and it was the greatest experience of my life thus far, many thanks to API for the wonderful times and memories.

I studied at the University of Limerick in Limerick, Ireland through API in the Spring of 2012 and I couldn't have had a better experience. Limerick often has a reputation for being a dangerous city but this couldn't be further from the truth. The campus was lovely, the living accommodations were amazing, and the people were always incredibly friendly and helpful.

The apartment we lived in gave everyone their own bedroom and bathroom with a shared living room and kitchen. They were clean, spacious, and way better than any living accommodations I would find in the dorm rooms back home.

Our program director, Maria Cooney, was probably the best thing about my experience with API. We met with her once a week but, other than that, she was always just a phone call away whenever we needed her and did absolutely anything to make sure that we were happy and comfortable. From the moment our plane landed, she was right there to make us feel welcome and I could never thank her enough. She spent time showing us around the city, how to schedule our classes, and answered whatever million questions we may have had with patience and kindness.

The excursions that API took us on were also a highlight of the trip. They were well planned, fun, and a great way to spend the day/weekend. The trip to Paris and the trip to the Aran Islands were definitely two of my favorite. When originally looking at programs, I noticed that not all of them included trips and I was glad to have chosen API.

In the end, most programs always look too good to be true on their websites but I have to say that API was everything I imagined and more. Especially because of all of the one-on-one help from our program director. Some kids from other programs would tell us that their program didn't have anyone on-site and we would always laugh and say we couldn't imagine life without a Maria. Our group had a wonderful time on our trip and I attribute that, in large part, to choosing API.

I strongly recommend the API Study Abroad Program at the University of Limerick, Ireland. This program provided my group with housing that exceeded expectations. I had ample space and privacy, with my own room and bathroom and shared a nice living room and kitchen with five Irish students. My group was integrated with Irish students, but also kept close with each other.
My group's advisor, Maria Cooney, is easily the nicest person I've ever met. I'll never forget the day she picked us up at the airport and knew each one of us by name right away. She took us right to the mall to get lunch and everything we would need for our rooms. Maria was there for us for anything we needed. We had weekly meetings where she checked in with us, held activities, and planned trips for us.
API arranged a variety of trips for us included in the price. We went to Paris, the Aran Islands, Dublin, Bunratty Castle,and the west of Ireland. We made some of these trips with other API groups, which was a great way to meet other students studying in other parts of Ireland.
The University of Limerick is a beautiful campus, close to a great city, with academically stimulating courses. I had absolutely no regrets on my choice for Limerick and API.